Softball | 5/17/2018 9:23:00 PM
CLINTON – It was a tense game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Jones County Junior College Lady Bobcats held a 4-2 lead over Illinois Central, but had not scored since the bottom of the first. But that changed quickly.
Three straight singles, followed by a
Taylor Murray (Parklane Academy) grand slam, followed by another single and a two-run home run from
Callie Venable (Clinton, Louisiana) and, boom, it was over.
The Lady Bobcats beat the Cougars 10-2 in six innings here Thursday afternoon in day two of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament at Traceway Park.
JCJC is now 51-3 and has won 18 straight games. Combined with last year's 55 wins, the current sophomore class has set a school record for wins with 106.
The Lady Bobcats will now face LSU-Eunice in a winner's bracket game at noon on Friday. The game will air on
www.jcjc.tv. LSU-Eunice stayed unbeaten in the tournament with a 12-3 win over Cowley (Kansas).
If JCJC wins the noon game, then they would play at 4 p.m. vs. the winner between top-seeded Des Moines Area Community College (Iowa) and Phoenix (Arizona). If JCJC loses the noon game, then they would play the winner of the Johnson County (Kansas) vs. Madison/Kirkwood at 2 p.m.
ICC got off to a fast start in the top of the first inning when Katie David belted a two-out solo home run to dead center field to make it 1-0.
But the Lady Bobcats answered quickly in the bottom of the first.
Kelsha Loftin (Mendenhall) led off with a walk and went to second on Murray's ground out.
Emily Robinson (Lafayette) doubled Loftin home and Venable followed with another double.
Hallie Donald (Mooreville) followed with a two-run single to right and
McKennah Sikes (Van Buren, Arkansas) singled to right to drive in Donald to make it 4-1.
The Cougars got a run in the third when Madi McCoy and Lexy Trammell singled and Megan Adams followed with an RBI single.
It remained that way until JCJC exploded in the sixth.
Gracie McCleskey (Caledonia) led off with a single and
Simone McKinney (Harrison Central) and Loftin both reached on bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. Murray then her third home run in two days – a grand slam to give JCJC an 8-2 lead. Robinson then lined a single to left and Venable homered to center to end it.
Karli Perque (Westwego, Louisiana) pitched all six innings and got the win to improve to 22-2. She allowed two runs, five hits, walked none and struck out three.
Loftin had three singles, while Murray homered, singled and drove in four runs. Venable homered and doubled and Robinson doubled and singled. Donald, Sikes,
Faith Denton (Northwest Rankin), McCleskey and McKinney each singled. McKinney also made two stellar catches in left field.
David homered for ICC. McCoy, Trammell, Adams and Kayla Ford singled.
David started, lasted 1/3 inning and got the loss. She allowed four runs, four hits and walked one. Adams pitched the final 4.2 innings, allowed six runs, 10 hits, walked two and struck out one.
ICC is now 36-10.
Thursday's game
Clinton
Traceway Park
Jones County 10, Illinois Central 2
(6 innings)
Illinois Central (36-10) 101 000 – 2 5 1
Jones County (51-3) 400 006 – 10 14 1
Katie David, Megan Adams (1) and Alexis West, McKinsey Walters (1). Karlie Perque and
Faith Denton.
WP-Perque (22-2).
LP-David.
ICC hitters:Katie David HR; Madi McCoy 1B; Lexy Trammell 1B; Megan Adams 1B; Kayla Ford 1B.
JCJC hitters:
Kelsha Loftin 3 1B;
Callie Venable HR, 2B;
Taylor Murray HR, 1B;
Emily Robinson 2B, 1B;
Hallie Donald 1B;
McKennah Sikes 1B;
Faith Denton 1B;
Gracie McCleskey 1B;
Simone McKinney 1B.
LOB:ICC-4; JCJC-6.
T:1:20.
NJCAA Division II Tournament
Clinton
Traceway Park
Wednesday's results
G1, Des Moines Area (IA) 8, Mott (MI) 0
G2, Lincoln Land (IL) 1, Lansing (MI) 0
G3, Kirkwood (IA) 17, Kankakee (IL) 0
G4, Phoenix (AZ) 6, Pitt (NC) 0
G5, LSU-Eunice 5, Mercer County (NJ) 4
G6, Cowley (KS) 3, Madison (WI) 0
G7, Illinois Central 11, Johnson County (KS) 0
G8, Jones County 13, Potomac St. (WV) 0
Thursday's results
G9, Lansing 6, Mott 3
G10, Pitt 11, Kankakee 7
G11, Madison 10, Mercer County 0
G12, Johnson County 12, Potomac St. 1
G13, Des Moines Area 9, Lincoln Land 1
G14, Phoenix 4, Kirkwood 2
G15, LSU-Eunice 12, Cowley 3
G16, Jones County 10, Illinois Central 2
G17, Johnson County 11, Lincoln Land 3
G18, Madison 5, Kirkwood 4
G19, Cowley 11, Pitt 1
G20, Illinois Central 13, Lansing 4
Friday's games
G21, Des Moines Area vs. Phoenix, noon
G22, Jones County vs. LSU-Eunice, noon
G23, Illinois Central vs. Cowley, noon
G24, Madison vs. Johnson County, noon
G25, Winner G23 vs. Loser G21, 2 p.m.
G26, Winner G24 vs. Loser G22, 2 p.m.
G27, Winner G21 vs. Winner G22, 4 p.m.
G28, Winner G25 vs. Winner G26, 6 p.m.
Saturday's games
G29, Winner G28 vs. Loser G27, 11:30 a.m.
G30, Championship, Winner G27 vs. Winner G29, 1:30 p.m.
G31, if necessary 4 p.m.
